At an MSRP of $250, the Audio-Techinca ATH-A900 headphones are not intended for the casual gamer and as you can tell by the 1/4" connector they are designed for someone who owns a high end microphone amp. On the other hand if you need studio quality audio and will be wearing the headsets for hours at a time then the high end features built into these headphones are worth the investment. The 53mm drivers are in an enclosed earcup which helps bring the bass up close and personal and are designed with much sturdier materials than other popular headsets. To contrast the difference [H]ard|OCP tried Beats by Dre Studio headphones which cost more than the ATH-A900s and in every case they felt the ATH-A900s were vastly superior. As far as [H] is concerned the two headsets aren't even in the same class.

"Audio-Technica's open headphones are known to gamers for the wearing comfort and huge soundstage that these provide, but the open back models simply lack bass and isolation. Today, we will see if a pricey pair of the company's closed back audiophile headphones can offer the compromise many of you are looking for in PC audio."

Thermaltake has made a very portable headset, utilizing an earbud style with an omnidirectional microphone on the headset cord. That results in a headset which is significantly more portable than an over the head design. As it uses analog plugs, the headset is compatible with just about any device, not just your PC. Bjorn3D did note that there were some sacrifices to make the Isurus so portable, it lacks an inline volume control and the microphone tends to pick up more background noise than would be preferable.

"Thermaltake Isurus is a great headset for those like to travel and are seeking a portable and compact headset. This headset is far more versatile than regular bulkier headsets and can be used for so much more than gaming."

Old time techies will remember Turtle Beach fondly, as there was once a time when they were the only choice in sound cards other than Creative. ASUS blew that market wide open and now we see many other manufacturers releasing sound cards, even if the majority of users now depend on onboard codecs. Turtle Beach does still make sound cards, the Riviera being their current model, but they've also expanded into headsets. The newest Turtle Beach headset is the DPX21 which is a package containing the PX 21 headset and the Ear Force DSS controller which allows you different connection choices as well as a host of controls. The Ear Force has separate volume controls for the game and chat, and bass tuning, there are also two controls that tbreak suggests you avoid, one which is a sound ‘expander’ and an option to force Dolby-esque surround sound. If you leave those two controls alone though, tbreak loudly proclaims their love of the virtual 7.1 surround sound and feel it is worth the $150 investment .

"While the name may evoke imagery of cute turtles and soft sunny beaches, for the techie among us, the name Turtle Beach only evokes one picture: kick-ass surround sound gaming headsets. And what a lovely picture that is. Turtle Beach have been at the game for a long time, making a name for themselves by churning out impressive, high quality headsets for the current gen consoles."

Thermaltake decided to think big with their new Shock Spin headphones, increasing the size of the drivers from 40mm to 50mm, which should help the quality of the low end. It connects via 3.5mm plugs as opposed to USB and sports an in-line volume controller as well as microphone which is separate from the headset, it is intended to clip onto your shirt. The audio quality did indeed benefit from the larger drivers but Bjorn3D felt that more effort could have gone into the physical design of the headset.

"The Thermaltake Spin currently is the only headset in the Tt eSport line with 50mm Neodymium drivers and comes in three colors: shining white, diamond black, and royal red. All three headsets come at a rather affordable price of $64.99 on Newegg.com, with the red one costing as low as $60.99. The cushioning around the drivers is made from velvet, as was previously observed in Shock One, and is designed to provide comfortable experience even after hours of gameplay. While our expectations of the headset are rather high, let's take a closer look in order to see if this headset is truly worth the price."

If you find yourself gaming in a noisy environment and are trying to keep your contribution to the noise down by using headsets it can be frustrating if you cannot hear the game you are playing. ASUS has a way to solve that, thanks to the active noise cancellation in their Republic of Gamers Vulcan ANC Pro Gaming Headset. Red & Blackness Mods tried out a pair for review and were impressed by the light weight of the headset as well as detachable mic for when you don't need to communicate with team mates. They were not overly impressed with the sound quality but as these are specifically designed for gaming that is not a major concern and not attempting for high end audio helped keep the price down.

"Asus mostly known for their high end laptops and motherboards have recently started pumping out various accessories and even touchpads. Today we are taking a look at the Asus Vulcan ANC Pro Gaming headphones that you can pick up for around 50$. What type of quality and sound quality can we expect from these?"

RAZER's new headphones are wireless, with three rechargable AAA batteries which are easily accessible so that when they do finally stop holding a charge you can easily get at them to swap them for new ones. The charging dock is quite well designed, actually giving you something more stylish than a nail to hang your headphones on when they are not in use as well as charging them. When you are using them you will enjoy interference free quality audio, both sending and receiving, if the review at Mad Shrimps is anything to go by. They liked this headset more than other wireless sets they have used in the past and compared them favourably to wired sets.

"The RAZER Chimaera Gaming Headset offers wireless connectivity for maximum liberty of movement, features large cups for confortable wear during long gaming sessions, a uni-directional microphone with a flexible mic boom and an easy to use charging dock."

ARCTIC Cooling is no more, they've rebranded themselves and joined the rest of the industry in providing fragmented product lines. They'll still make heatsinks for CPUs but are also going to be pushing a line of headsets for a wide variety of uses; they are currently peddling 20 different models. [H]ard|OCP received three to review, ear can style headphones for listening to music, a Bluetooth set for those on the go and a 5.1 surround gaming headset with mic. Only one received a recommendation from them, head on over to find out which.

"ARCTIC is well known for its processor air coolers and its fans alike. In the last couple of years it has greatly diversified its product line to include products from remote control toy cars to computer audio headphones. Today we look at three of its headphone and headset products and let you know the value of those."

The new Psyko Carbon headset sports 7 speakers, including 40mm subs, which is supposed to surround your head with sound. With that insane amount of power it is no surprise to see that this headset comes with its own amplifier. The real question is whether the PsykoWave speaker virtualization technology which is intended emulate positional sound like you would have with properly set up speakers. The Tech Report knows how well it works, so you can visit them to find out for yourself.

"Psyko Audio Labs has updated its surround-sound gaming headset with a new Carbon model that offers a number of upgrades and a lower asking price. We have a listen to see if the Carbon is a good alternative to traditional virtualization methods."

Like their predecessors the HS1As are large with full earcups and a solid head piece. They do change cosmetically with a full black look instead of silver on the earcups as the previous model sported. The big difference is that these are analog not USB based, so while the previous model pretty much carried its own built in soundcard with it these are intended to be used with a soundcard with audio outputs. [H]ard|OCP were impressed by them, read on to see if you are as well.

"Corsair is back with a new HS1A analog headset sporting massive 50mm drivers, closed-back ear cups, and memory foam ear pads primarily designed for gaming. But Corsair tells us that these do not sacrifice "precision audio response (for) your favorite media." Let's see if these hold up in gaming as well as movies and music."